Homocysteine Concentration Determined in Plasma

An automated, latex-enhanced immunoassay has been developed for the quantitative determination of total L-homocysteine (Hcy) in human citrated plasma.

The Hcy assay is to be used in hemostasis laboratories, and it allows for an extended thrombophilia work-up on a single coagulation instrument, in combination with other specialty assays.

Hcy is derived from the metabolism of methionine, an essential amino acid in the diet, and the normal adult range of total Hcy is 5 µ/l to 15 µ/l. Increased Hcy levels are associated with a number of illnesses, and an increase of 5 µ/l total Hcy is associated with a 27% increase in risk of venous thromboembolism. A high homocysteine concentration is also increasingly being recognized as an important risk factor for a number of common medical conditions including diabetes, osteoporosis, coronary disease, and senility. There is high academic and public interest in this unique biologic marker emphasizing the need for regular testing and monitoring of homocysteine levels within the blood.

The new HemosIL homocysteine assay, developed by Instrumentation Laboratory (Lexington, MA, USA), has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on the company's IL coagulation systems. "For the first time, hemostasis laboratories can perform a thorough thrombophilia evaluation without the need for multiple instruments,” said Giovanni Russi, the company's director of hemostasis reagents marketing. He added that the assay "will greatly simplify the diagnosis of thrombophilia-related conditions and enhance efficiencies in the hemostasis laboratory.”




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